Time To Forgive?
by PrincessKymmy
Summary: When an argument occurs between Clarisse and Mia, Will they make up? Revelations from the past comes back to haunt the palaca, will they make it through?i suck at summarys please R and R
1. 1 Beginning Of The End

Chapter One- The beginning of the end?

The sun had set on a cold Genovian sky. Clarisse pulled the throw over high above her knees and shivered slightly. She hated the winter! Sure, she loved Christmas but the weather she was not keen on. After finding a suitable place in her book she marked it, set it down on the table and got up. She decided to go see Mia to find out the arrangements for her mother's visit for Christmas and New Year.

Clarisse reached Mia's door and knocked softly. She heard no reply so she walked inside and found Mia looking out her window.

"Mia, why didn't you open the door?"

"Go away!"

"Darling, what's wrong?"

"I said go away grandmother!"

Clarisse felt extremely hurt! Never before had Mia shut her out of her problems. Clarisse decided to ask her one more time.

"Amelia, what's happened?"

Mia turned around to face her grandmother and snapped at her.

"Why don't you ever listen to what I say? I am so sick of you grandmother, you never listen to me. You just think of yourself all the time!"

"I do listen to you! How dare you speak to me like that, Amelia. I am your grandmother. Now would you kindly explain what has happened?"

"What's happened? You wanna know what's happened? They're not coming that's what! You have your wish."

"My wish? Mia, I don't have the faintest idea as to what you're talking about."

"Think back grandmother. You know damn well what I'm talking about"

Clarisse fell silent for a moment. She tried to think back to anything she could have said or done to make Mia think her mother, step-father and brother weren't welcomed at the palace.

Then it clicked.

"Oh"

"Yes, '_Oh,_' grandma! The next time you have secret conversations with Joe make sure nobody is in hearing-distance!"

"Hang on a minute, how did you hear that? We were on my balcony talking about…um…security matters"

"I was under your balcony taking a walk."

"Ah."

"Well, thanks a lot! You really haven't changed a bit, have you?"

Clarisse was getting angrier by the second. Never had Mia talked to her in this manner. Mia was pacing the floor in frustration.

"For your information young lady I never once said I didn't want them to be here. What I said was since it is your first Christmas in Genovia it was a shame we couldn't spend it just me and you."

"IN OTHER WORDS YOU DONT WANT MOM OVER! JUST SAY WHAT YOU REALLY MEAN FOR ONCE IN YOUR LIFE!"

As soon as Mia shouted that at Clarisse, Clarisse lost it and wasn't standing for anymore of this.

"I've had it with you, Mia! You're not going to talk to me like that. Not only am I your grandmother, but I am your Queen too and I deserve a bit of respect from _you_ especially. Think what you like and read into that conversation what you wish, I am not staying here to be insulted by you."

Clarisse turned on her heels to walk out of Mia's suite. Mia was in full rage now and threw a vase at the wall which made Clarisse jump and a flash of fear shot through her.

"That's it, walk away! Just like you always do. You are good, at that aren't you? Running away from your problems and not facing up to things you have caused, no matter how much you hurt people."

Mia practically spat out the last line showing nothing but disgust for the woman a nation adored. Clarisse acted on impulse and took Mia by the shoulders, making Mia even more angry and also scared her a little.

"I wondered how long it would be before you used that against me!"

"Well it's true, why not bring it up? Face it, grandmother. You walked out on me and now you're gonna try to get the years back! WELL YOU CAN'T, SO STOP TRYING. YOU'RE PATHETIC!"

That was it. Mia stood in shock and held her cheek. Clarisse stumbled back from Mia and dropped to the couch.

"Mia, I'm...I didn't mean…"

Mia was crying hard, holding her cheek that stung from the rings on Clarisse's fingers. She ran past Clarisse and out of the suite.

"I DONT WANT YOU IN MY LIFE I HATE YOU!"

Clarisse sat still and broke down into sobs.

"Oh...what have I done?"


	2. 2 Clarisses Heartache

Chapter Two - Clarisses pain

The words rang in Clarisses ears.

"I DONT WANT YOU IN MY LIFE I HATE YOU!"

God what had she done? She hadn't meant to hit her. She loved her with every fibre of her being. As far as Clarisse was concerned Mia was her little granddaughter! She would never intentionally hurt her...Ever!

Clarisse sat with her arms wrapped around herself, sobbing.

"Mia…Mia?"

Joe shouted as she ran past him down the corridor on way to the kitchen. When she didn't answer he went after her. He found her sitting at the table eating out of a tub of Rocky Road ice cream with a rather large spoon and softly crying.

"Oh there you are."

Mia didn't look up from her spoon.

"What's wrong Mia?"

Joe put his hand on her shoulder and rubbed it. Mia cracked into hard sobs again and leaned into him.

"She hit me Joe, she hit me!"

Joe was taken aback by this statement and leaned down to hug her. He held her not saying anything, he just let her cry. Joe knew Clarisse wouldn't hit her on purpose, she wasn't a violent person. He knew this argument must have been a pretty huge one for Clarisse to retaliate like this.

"Joe, I wanna go back to America!"

"Shh, stop for a moment before you make any rash decisions and tell me what happened."

Mia wiped her eyes and told Joe what had happened. He sat and listened to what had been said between the two royals, secretly agreeing with Mia. He didn't want to admit it but Clarisse did have the option, be in your granddaughter's life or don't be, she sadly chose the latter. However, he was the one who saw the pain in her eyes everyday for sixteen years and regretting her decision. But he felt he didn't have the right to agree or disagree with Mia.

"The past is the past, Mia. Your grandmother is trying to make up for it."

"I don't want her to! She abandoned me, why should I forgive her?"

"Because for sixteen years I saw the pain she went through over not having you in her life."

"That was her decision, Joe."

"Yes it was. Come on, Mia, this isn't you. I know you love Clarisse and she would do anything for you."

"It isn't me Joe, she's really blown it this time. My mom has never hit me so why should my grandmother? I'm sorry it's harsh, but I meant what I said to her."

Mia got up and walked out of the kitchen, Joe looked around to make sure none of the kitchen staff was there and took Mia's spoon and the ice-cream. He took a spoonful to his mouth and put them back on the table.

"Yuck! I don't know what Americans find so attractive about this stuff!"

He left the kitchen in search of Clarisse. What had Mia said to her? He didn't want to get himself caught up in the situation but he couldn't help it. He was deeply in love with Clarisse and seeing her hurt was unbearable. But seeing Mia upset hurt him too. He was very fond of this girl.

Joe went straight to Clarisse's suite. The door was closed but he could hear the distinctive sound of Clarisse's sobs from inside the suite and walked inside. The sight he found hit him straight in the heart. Clarisse was on the floor in front of the fire leaning against the arm chair. Her body wracked with every sob that broke out of her. He walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her pulling Clarisse into his embrace.

"Darling, shhh come on love."

"Oh, Joe! What have I done? Why...I didn't mean to…I"

"I know, you had a fight, it will sort itself out, dear, I assure..."

"NO...IT WON'T!"

Joe just sat with Clarisse holding her as she cried into him.

"She said she hated me Joe, and she didn't want me in her life. How can I get that out of my head!"

"Talk to her, Risse! Tell her how you feel."

"For her to throw me off and insult me again, I can't do it Joe, I think its finally happened."

Joe looked at her with a puzzled look on his face.

"Done what darling?"

"She's broken my heart! I can't have her here anymore, Joe. Please send her back to her mother! I can't look at her now without being hurt!"

"No Risse, you don't mean that, please talk to her. I know she didn't mean it. She was just angry and you retaliated."

"She can't stay here now. I didn't mean to hit her but she insulted me too much and she was hurting me Joe."

"I know she was, but you hurt her too. Find her and talk to her."

"No, she has to return to America"

"But…Christmas…"

"There will be no Christmas in this Palace."


	3. 3 Joe Wants To Save Them

Chapter Three- Joe wants to save them

Mia fumbled with the zipper on her suitcase trying to get it to close. This was it, she was going back to America.

She managed to get it to fasten and set it down near the door, she buzzed around the room getting bits together to take as hand luggage and didn't notice Joe walk into her suite with a heart-broken expression on his face.

"Mia, what are you doing?"

"Oh, hi Joe, I'm going back home. Well I am when I can find my charger for my cell."

"You can't go, Mia. I won't let you go."

"That's tough! I'm going. I just need to speak to Charlotte and arrange for a flight this afternoon."

Mia sprinted over to her closet to see if her charger was in there.

"You've broken her heart, Mia"

There was a deathly silence. Mia stopped what she was doing and looked at Joe with hurt in her eyes.

"I've what?"

"Broken her heart, she's sobbing her heart out in that suite. You shouldn't have said that to her."

"I was angry, she hit me!"

"But why did she hit you, Mia? The things you said to her were horrible. She snapped?"

Mia looked at the floor and the tears fell. She leaned against the door to one of her cupboards and pulled her knees into herself. There she sat rocking and crying.

"I didn't want to say those things, Joe, but I needed answers. This has gone on for too long."

"Could it not have waited until after Christmas? Which may I remind you is in two days!"

"I didn't plan on it all coming out today. After I heard her say that to you on the balcony and then mom phoning this morning to say she wasn't coming really annoyed and upset me."

"I can see why it did but the reason your mom isn't coming has nothing to do with your grandmother. She just thought it would be special to share Christmas just the two of you."

"And that is a sweet gesture but I thought..."

"Exactly, you **_thought_**, you didn't ask her."

Mia could now see she was wrong. She turned her back from Joe and began crying again. Joe could see her reflection in the mirror that was across from her. He noticed how the big red mark on her face was slowly starting to discolor. She must have hit her with some force.

Getting the feeling that this was a personal moment for Mia, Joe quietly walked backwards out of the closet door and left her suite. He wandered down the busy corridors not knowing what to do. Christmas was in two days and the two most important people in his life were at each others throats. He had to sort this out, and he had to do it today.

Softly knocking on the door he entered Clarisse's suite. She sat near the fire writing a letter. The tears had stopped but the pain was still evident on her face.

"How are you, love?"

"Awful, what is she doing?"

"She has packed to return to America."

Clarisse looked at Joe and then down to what she was writing.

"Good."

"Risse..."

"Please Joe, don't call me that, not here."

"Why?"

"You know why, anyway, has Charlotte scheduled her flight?"

"No, Clarisse and she isn't going to either. How can you let her go?"

"She hurt me Joe and she isn't sorry about it. I am sorry for hitting her but the words she said, they made me feel unwanted."

"Darling you'll never be unwanted. I told her how she has broken your heart and she is sorry. She didn't say it but her expression said a thousand words."

"Where is she now? Her suite?"

"Yes. Go to her, Clarisse, please. It's Christmas soon, her first Christmas here."

Clarisse thought for a while and gave a weak smile to Joe.

"Ok"

Clarisse straightened her jacket and wandered out of her suite to find Mia. As she walked down the corridor she practiced in her head what she was going to say to Mia. No matter how much she thought of what to say, it wouldn't work. Mia was never going to understand. Clarisse knew that this time would come eventually but she didn't expect it just days before Christmas.

Knocking softly on the door Clarisse decided to wait for Mia to let her in before walking in like she did earlier.

"Come in."

Clarisse took a deep breath and twisted the doorknob to enter Mia's suite.


	4. 4 Against All Odds

Chapter 4 - Against all odds

Mia was sat with her back to the door facing the fire and didn't see Clarisse come in.

"Briggitte please can you ask Charlotte to come and see me, I need to arrange something"

Clarisse knew she meant the flight to America. Deciding to make her presence known she sighed and spoke softly.

"Not planning on leaving are you?"

Mia shot her head round and saw a broken Clarisse fighting back tears. Mia was unsure about what to say, afterall she had hurt her grandmother in the worst possible way. A stray tear found its way down Mia's face and she wiped it away, wincing when she brushed against her now very discoloured cheek. Clarisse noticed how discoloured it was and rushed over to her and threw her arms around her granddaughter.

"Oh Mia I'm so so so sorry"

Mia didn't return the hug at first. She was still unsure whether or not Clarisse was being genuine. Mia hated herself for thinking that but even though she fealt a bit sorry for what she had said to Clarisse she still meant every word of it.

Clarisse was sobbing hard now onto Mia's shoulder.

"Mia please forgive me, I didn't mean it. Please say you forgive me"

Mia's heart was breaking at the sight of her broken grandmother. A woman who had always put up walls when something was troubling her was now clinging onto her for her life begging for forgivness. Mia slowly put her arms around Clarisse and sobbed.

"I'm sorry grandma"

"Oh Mia"

"I was, still am hurt that my mom isn't coming, I put two and two together after hearing your conversation and came up with the fact you didn't want her to come"

"I never wanted you not to spend Christmas with your mother but I thought it would be nice for us to spend it together"

"Yeah.. It would. and we will"

Clarisse pulled back from the hug and gently touched Mia's cheek.

"I really am sorry for that but you did hurt me Mia"

"I know I did"

Mia walked away from Clarisse and sat down in her previous seat.

"What's wrong Mia?"

"I hate this. Fighting with you! I love you to death but it's so hard"

"We're bound to have moments Mia, It's only natural"

"I know that grandma but even though I am sorry for what I said to you I meant it"

"You don't want me in your life?"

Tears sprang from Clarisses eyes. Surely she didn't mean that.

"God no, not that, never that"

Mis jumped up and hugged Clarisse. Clarisse let out a sigh of relief. She **_was_** wanted.

"I meant the rest I said. About abandoning me"

"Can we discuss that at some other time Mia? Then I'l give you all the answers you need but I can't do that yet"

"Promise me we will talk about it"

"Darling I promise"

The pair stood hugging and weeping and saying how sorry they were for well over an hour. Clarisse was the first to break from the embrace.

"I need to go and tell Joe that we have sorted this out. He has been worrying out of his mind"

"I know, We'll meet for dinner later?"

"Of course darling"

Clarisse touched Mia's cheek and said her goodbye's.


End file.
